The Lives of the Philosophers; Alchemy; Avicenna; Albert the Great, Thomas Aquinas
THE
LIVES
OF
Achemical Philosophers
WITH A
CRITICAL CATALOGUE OF BOOKS
OCCULT CHEMISTRY,
A SELECTION
OF THE
MOST CELEBRATED TREATISES
On the Theory and Practice
OF THE
hermetic Art
INTRODUCTION.
Tubal Cain, the first artificer in brass and iron, was, no
doubt, skilled in the preparatory work of finding the mines, raising
the ore, and smelting it.
‘ The reduction of copper ore to
metal, by several calcinations, and its admixture with calamine,
to make brass, is not the least difficult among metallurgic operations.
Tubal Cain is therefore reputed the first inventor of
chemistry, relating to manufactures.
The universal chemistry, by which the science of alchemy opens
the knowledge of all nature, being founded on first principles,
forms analogy with whatever knowledge is founded on the same.
Jirst principles. In this view, Moses, describing the creation,
is an universal chemist, and reveals at the same time, the creation
of the philosophers’ stone, in this process :
” The earth was
” without form, and void ; % Darkness was on the face of the
” deep; 3, The spirit of God moved on the face of the waters;
” 4, God said, Let there be light, and there was light ;
5, He ” divided the light from the darkness ; 6, He divided the upper
«’ from the lower waters, by a firmament; 7, He separated the
” water from the earth ; 8, The earth vegetated ;
9, He made ” the stars, sun, and moon ; 10, The waters brought forth ani-
•”. mal life; 11, The earth brought forth animal life; 12, He
*’ made his own image, having dominion over all”
The same alchemic knowledge is ascribed to Saint John the
Divine, and may be said of all the inspired writers,, who were
intimately acquainted with the wisdom of God.
Saint John describes
the redemption, or the neW creation of the fallen soul,
on the same Jirst principles, until the consummation of the work,
in which the Divine tincture transmutes the base metal of the
soul into a perfection that will pass the fire of eternity.
The seven churches, or states of regeneration, analogize with
the seven days of the creation, and the seven regimens of the
stone, the last of which is gold, tried in the fire.
The revelation of the Divine Chemistry, by which the fire
of the last day will make a new heaven and a new earth, on the
same Jirst principles, is, by analogy, equally descriptive of the
stone, and the process into which the fallen universe has passed,
is passing, and which at last will assimilate with the philosophic
transmutation, that of the earth and elements, as described
by Saint John.
Saint Peter speaks of the first creation, of the earth standing
out of the ‘water, and in the water, which earth being overflowed,
perished, but is now reserved unto Jire.
And St. John describes
the new earth having the light of chrystal, cities of transparent
gold, stones of jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx,
sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprasus, jacinth, amethist;
gates of pearls, and water of life or health.
All the wise observers of nature among the heathen, have, in
their writings, left traits of the same Jirst principles. This produces
frequent reference, in the writings of the adepts, to the
Heathen Mythology, which has been preserved by the Greeks
and Romans.
The poem of the Argonauts, by Orpheus, is
founded on a Hermetic allegory, that he brought from Egypt,
where Hermes Trismegistus, whose name signifies a spiritual
trinity in Mercury, was celebrated as the founder of religion
and the sciences.
Alchemy is called Hermetic philosophy, from Hermes, the
author of seven books, and a tablet of alchemy, which are the
most ancient and esteemed writings on this subject now extant.
They were found in the Hebrew and Arabic languages, in the
year of the Christian era 400, from which date there is literary
evidence of the lives and writings of adepts.
The destruction of ancient manuscripts prevents higher research
; for, in 296, Dioclesian burned the books of the Egyptians,
on the chemistry of gold and silver, peri chumeias argurou
kai chrusou. Caesar burned 700,000 rolls at Alexandria;
and Leo Isaurus 300,000, at Constantinople, in the eighth century;
about which time the Mahometans commenced the work
of destroying literature in its principal sources.
Page 3-4
AVICENNA.
Chorasan produced another celebrated adept at the end of
the tenth century, Ebn Sina, that is to say, Avicenna was born
at Bacara, the principal city of that province of Persia, towards
the year 980; he made great progress in the mathematics, and by
his uncommon aptness and facility of genius, even in the most
sublime philosophy.
He was only sixteen when he passed from
the preparatory sciences to that of medicine, in which he succeeded
with the same celerity : and it is said his sagacity was so
great in the knowledge of diseases, he discovered that the illness
of the Icing of Gordia’s nephew was caused by love, and by a
stratagem discovered, the object of his affections.
Medicine and philosophy were his principal occupations, they
obtained so much credit for him, that the Sultan “Magdal Doulet
thought he could not do better than to place so penetrating a
genius at the head of his affairs. He made him his prime
Visier.
Avicenna drank wine freely, notwithstanding the religion of
Mahomet wisely forbids it altogether : bis intemperence led to
immorality and disorder, he was deprived oflrs dignities in the
state, and died in 1037, aged 56. He was buried at Hamadan, a
citv of Persia, which was the ancient Ecbatana, then capital of
Media.
His destiny gave rise to a proverb, that he leas a -philosopher
without wisdom, and a physician without health.
There are extant six or seven treatises of his on the hermetic
philosophy, perhaps some of them are onlv ascribed to him, in
consequence of his being celebrated in all Asia.
He hid illustrious
commentators on his writings in the twelfth and thirteenth ages,
ihe European physicians for sometime took him as their master
in medicine: so that his writings were taught publicly in the
schools until the re-establishment of letters, or rather until the
reformation in medicine.
Page 11-12
ALBERT THE GREAT,
The universal genius of Albert, joined to a laudable curiosity
in so great a philosopher, did not allow him to pass by the hermetis
science without giving it due attention.
This learned man was born in 1193, of an illustrious- family,
at Lawingen in the Dutchy of Ncubourg, upon the Danube;
he was rather stupid in his early years, which has been the
ease with other great; meR« Iie was liear 30> when in 1222 he
entered the order of St. Dominic; he had then some difficulty to
acquire ‘ tHe sciences, but his mind was hardly opened to study,
vj hen in six months he advanced more than another would in many
years.
His acknowledged merit induced his superiors to get
him to teach in different houses cf their order, and above all at
Cologne, where he received Thomas Aquina.«, in 1244< as one of
his pupils The year after, he went to Paris with this favorite
disciple, for whom he had great affection, and took pleasure to
form him in the sciences.
Thomas, full of gratitude was equally
attached to his master, and did not quit him when Albert returned
from Paris to Cologne in 1248. He even participated in the’
glory Albert received, when the Emperor William of Holland*
passing through the city in 1249, chose to honor Albert with a
visit.
This great man continued always to apply himself to the sciences,
but his prudence, which distinguished him not less than
his knowledge, caused him to be chosen at Worms in 125 4, provincial
of his order. The disputes agitated between the mendicant
order, and the University of Paris, respecting Episcopal
rights, made it necessary for him as provincial to attend at
Rome.
These matters were not yet settled, when at his return into
Germany a superior post awaited him.—Pope Alexander IV.
appointed him in 1259, to fill the chair of Ratisbon; Albert
accepted it but soon perceived that the episcopal dignity, whose
rights it was then necessary to defend with an armed hand, was
not suitable to a man reared in the tranquillity of the cloister.
He had tasted the sweet and seducing leizure of the sciences, and
especially of philosophy, which requires the entire man; and
was often abstracted even from his personal wants.
It was an
irresistible attraction, that impelled him towards studious retirement.
Albert resigned his Bishopric in 1262, he retired to a
delightful retreat at Cologne, and continued his application to
study.
It is in vain that the historians of his order, argue that Albert
never applied himself to the Hermetic Philosophy. His books
alone sj,eak for him, and I mean books which are his, incontestibly.
As a | hysician, he carefully examined what regards- Natural
History, and above all the Minerals and Metals. He made
many singular experiments, which produced his book, ” Secret
of Secrets,” printed four or five times since the first edition at
Venice in 1508.
The following passage is adduced to disprove his
alchemy : the skilful philosopher assures us, in his works, that he
essayed gold and silver, which an alchemist had made, they re
sristed six or seven fusions but in the eighth passed into scorise;
now in the very same chapter whence this weak argument is taken,
Albert acknowledges the possibility of metallic transmutation, provided
the artist knows how to imitate nature.
Less ignorant in natural curiosities than his contemporaries, they
reported him a magician, the common appellation of more than
ordinary attainments, in the gross ignorance of the 13th age: even
long after his death, this reputation attended his memory. We
find that the Great Chronicle of Belgium, published in 1480,
records him magnus in magia, major in philoiophia^ maximus in
tkcologia.
There is one story of his magical abilities extant in the history
of the University of Paris.
It is related that William Count of Holland was prevailed on
by this great Philosopher, to honour his house at Cologne, by
a visit, and allow him to entertain this prince with a supper.
Albert had tables laid in the convent garden, although the season
was winter, and at that time extremely rigorous; the earth wascovered
with snow, and the courtiers who accompanied William,
murmured at the imprudence of Albert, who exposed the prince
to the severity of the weather; suddenly the snow disappeared,
and the}’ felt not only the softness of spring, but even the parterre
was filled with the most odoriferous flowers, the birds as in summer
flew about or sung tlieir most delightful notes, and the trees appeared
in blossom.
Their surprise at this metamorphose ofnature,
was considerably heightened, when after the repast, all the softness
of the air, the flowers, the singing of birds, the delightful spring
ceased—every thing disappeared in a moment, and the cold wind
began to blow v ith the same rigour as before.
By a fatality, sometimes attending excessive application, of
which the history of the learned, furnish too many examples,
Albert about three years before his death, was deprived of his
memory, and totally forgot every tiling he knew, with the exception
of the essential duties of religion, in which he persevered
always, until the end of the year 1280, when he died at Cologne,
aged 87 years.
Page 12-13
THOMAS AQUINAS.
Albert the Great had in St. Thomas a pupil, to whom he would
discover every thing he held most secret; perhaps he loved him
because he lound in him a great depth of piety, joined to an
rnc maturity of intellect that merited all his instructions.
His docility was as great as his birth, which lie derived from
the Counts of Aquinas, one of the first houses of Naples.
He died in March 1274, at fifty years of age, just as he was
summoned to the General Council at Lyons. He carefully
avoided, in all his works of theology, the appearance of alchemy,
persuaded of the dishonour it would bring to his name,
with those who hold the least tendency towards it, as the height
of human folly.
There are some alchemical treatises ascribed to him, which
he did not write; but there are others that cannot be doubted.
That of the Nature of Minerals, is not worthy of so great a
philosopher; nor the Comment on the Turba. But his Treasure
of Alchemy, addressed to Brother Rcgnauld, his companion and
friend, is genuine.
He cites Albert in this book, as his master
in all things, especially in Hermetic philosophy. He addressed
other books to Regnauld, on some curious sciences, amongst
which is a treatise on Judicial Astrology.
Saint Thomas wrote with neatness and precision. His leading
character is secrecy ; to preserve this important operation inviolable
from unworthy men, none other but the children of
light, who live as in the presence of God, being fit for the
knowledge, or charge of so great a mystery.
He recommends the salvation of souls, and Christian duties of
prayer and preaching, rather than an application to a science
that can only procure some temporal advantages.
In his works of Theology, he says, ” It is not lawful to sell as
good gold, that which is made by Alchemy” And yet, when he
speaks of philosophy, he testifies, ” that the aim of the alchemist
” is to change imperfect metal into that which is perfect ” and,
*• that it is possible”
These are contradictions, unless he refers to the lata of jurisprudence,
in which there is no admission of the fact, that perfect
gold can be made by art.
He was named the Angelical Doctor, for his religious works
in Theological Casuistry, and the scholastic learning of these
times.
Page 13-14
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